Scania and DHL Group have jointly developed an electric truck with a fuel-powered generator, making it possible to shift to battery-electric road transportation without having to wait for a complete charging network.
The EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) is a 10.5m truck with a maximum weight of 40 metric tons, powered by a 230kW electric engine (295kW peak). Energy is delivered by a 416kWh battery and a 120kW gasoline-powered generator. With the aid of the onboard generator – initially powered by petrol and later by diesel fuel/HVO – the truck’s range extends up to 800km.
EREVs can be equipped with software limiting the use of the fuel-powered generator, thereby meaning CO2 emissions to be reduced and limited to a specified level. Its maximum speed is 89km/h, with a cargo capacity of approximately 1,000 parcels (volume of a swap body). The truck can also pull a trailer with an additional swap body. The vehicle is to be deployed for “main carriage” transportation between the cities of Berlin and Hamburg.
Scania and DHL’s Extended Range Electric Vehicle is intended to help electric vehicles to overcome operational hurdles, such as ensuring enough charging capacity at the depots during seasonal peaks, the strain on the grid and high spot prices for electricity on for instance calm winter days.
Fuel-powered generator
The new e-truck will be deployed by the Post & Parcel Germany division this month for parcel transportation between Berlin and Hamburg to test its performance in day-to-day operations before additional vehicles are added to DHL’s fleet.
The fuel-powered generator replaces one of the battery packs in a fully electric truck not needed for the majority of the transportation routes, thus reducing the range coming from the batteries but providing backup energy for the mentioned scenarios.
The vehicle has a possible range of 650-800km (subject to the findings from the test) and can be refueled at any conventional petrol station if needed. This compares with the 550km of Scania’s next most up-to-date electric trucks with an equivalent maximum weight.
Sustainable logistics
Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group, said, “It is going to take some time before renewable electricity, the grid and charging infrastructure are available and robust enough to rely fully on battery-electric trucks, especially for a large-scale system like the German parcel network of DHL. Instead of waiting for this day to come, DHL and Scania are collaborating on a pragmatic solution for making logistics more sustainable and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 80%. This vehicle is a sensible, practical solution that can make an immediate contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transport short term. Such reductions should be proportionally reflected in the road toll pricing and EU fleet emission scheme. We see this collaboration as a successful innovation project of two companies committed to battling climate change.”
Christian Levin, CEO of Scania, commented, “The future is electric, but perfect must not be the enemy of good as we are getting there. The vehicle we have developed together with DHL is an example of interim solution that can enhance the scaling of decarbonized heavy transport before the transport system eventually becomes 100% electrified. An effective climate transition requires that policymakers accept such solutions while ramping up their investments in public infrastructure and other enabling conditions.”
In related news, Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease recently became the first company in Ireland to switch 100% of its air freight of highly specialized medicines to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), helping to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 80% compared to traditional aviation fuel. Click here to read the full story.